<VV> Modern Corvair vs. mundane FWDs

[jvhroberts at aol.com]

 Fast forwarding to 2010, torque steer is all but gone in today's cars. And compared to a modern RWD car, well, it seems to be a toss up. For one thing, FWD cars seem to run at the less expensive end of the spectrum, while RWD cars tend to be premium products. 
Looking at a 911, the only serious rear engine car today, it's no less complicated than a FWD car of the same ilk, not that there really is such a thing, mind you! 
And all RWD cars today with IRS, which is pretty much all RWD cars, have CV joints as well. Heck, our Subarus have CV joints in the driveshaft as well as the half shafts! 
As far as FWD cars contemporary to the era, Austins, Fiats, Renaults, etc., they were no more complex than a Corvair. 

 

John Roberts
 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: airvair at earthlink.net <airvair at earthlink.net>
To: jvhroberts at aol.com <jvhroberts at aol.com>; virtualvairs at corvair.org
Sent: Tue, Jan 19, 2010 9:46 am
Subject: Re: <VV> Modern Corvair vs. mundane FWDs


Back in the days of the Corvair, the front drive Toro and Eldo had totally
flat floors. But ever since the Citation came out in '79, the standard has
been to still have a "conventional car" hump in the middle. What's with
that? If the Toro and Eldo could have a totally flat floor, why can't other
front drivers?

And as far as packaging and complexity, with front drivers you have to have
CV joints and/or contend with torque steer, not to mention the steering
altogether. That's something a conventional drive car doesn't have to
contend with. No, front drive is NOT simple. Certainly not as simple as
conventional drive. Just more "compact".

The Corvair showed that Ed Cole was right. Rear engine/rear drive is
simpler than front engine/front drive.

-Mark


> [Original Message]
> From: <jvhroberts at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: <VV> Modern Corvair vs. mundane FWDs
>
>  FWD has the same advantage as a Corvair, packaging wise. No massive
transmission/driveshaft tunnel! Not exactly as flat a floor, but still, FWD
packages a lot better than front engine/RWD. But rear engine/RWD packages
even more compactly. Sort of... <G>
>
> John Roberts
>  


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